Legamar International School

A long-running private bilingual school in Leganes, founded in 1981, that has rebranded as an international school and added the IB to its Spanish curriculum offer.

Legamar serves the south Madrid catchment from Infantil through Bachillerato on a single Leganes campus and is authorised for the IB Primary Years and Diploma programmes alongside the Spanish national curriculum. The bilingual Spanish-English programme starts in early years and a third language, French or German, comes in from primary.

Most families are Spanish, with a smaller international cohort. Parents describe committed teaching, solid academic results, and a school that has made real investment in facilities and curriculum, including the IB authorisation. The catchment is overwhelmingly south Madrid (Leganes, Getafe, Fuenlabrada), and the school is considered the strongest private option in that arc. Families relocating to north Madrid will find the commute hard and should look elsewhere.

• Reviews are polarised. Supporters describe strong academic results, committed staff and a respectful day-to-day culture; critics describe a high-pressure environment that pushes weaker students out.
• One ex-student said the school "forms students of high academic level, not people," with multiple comments describing pressure on children who don't hit grades.
• Counterweight reviews highlight Selectividad pass rates and university recognition, with one parent saying you have "the inner certainty that you've chosen well."
• Cost is flagged as a real ceiling for some families, with one parent putting monthly fees in the 500-euro range.